The Virtues Of Ramadaan
فضائل رمضان Summary 1) The arrival of Ramadaan 2) The bounty of living to attend Ramadaan. 3) The virtues of Ramadaan. 4) Self-accountability during Ramadaan. 5) Ramadaan is the month of victory. 6) The situation of the Ummah today. 7) Ramadaan is the month of generosity. All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings of Allaah be upon His Messenger, his family and companions. Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah, for the fear of Allaah is the source of all good, the means of attaining blessings and removing sorrow. Brothers in Islaam! A great month has come to you carrying with it great blessings. It is a month in which good deeds are multiplied and bad deeds are overlooked. Witnessing this month is a great blessing for which we should be grateful to Allaah. It is an opportunity to do good deeds that can win one Paradise and safety from Hell. Allaah says, “O you who believe! Observing fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may be pious.”''' (Al Baqarah: 183).'' The Messenger of Allaah said, '‘Fasting and reciting Qur’aan intercede for the slave on the Day of Resurrection. The fasting will say: O Lord, I prevented him from eating and satiating his lawful lust, so let me intercede on his behalf; and the Qur’aan will say: I prevented him from sleeping during the night, so let me intercede for him.’ (Ahmad & Tabaraani) Fellow Muslims! Ramadaan is a month of forgiveness and mercy. The Messenger of Allaah said, ‘When Ramadaan comes, the doors of ''Paradise'' will be opened and the doors of Hell will be closed, and the devils will be chained.’ (Bukhaarie & Muslim). He also said, ‘Whoever observes the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) with faith and for the sake of Allaah, his past sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts the month of Ramadaan faithfully and for the sake of Allaah, his past sins will be forgiven.’''' (Bukhaarie & Muslim).'' Therefore let the month of Ramadaan be an opportunity for self-examination in order to amend what is damaged. Let this month be a good starting point towards a bright future and a turning point toward better conditions, sayings and deeds. Brothers in faith! There are lessons in the changing of the times as there are reminders in the pages of history. Whenever a month of Ramadaan passes by us, the memories of the great Battle of Badr and its victory is rekindled in us. Yes, Ramadaan reminds us of the victories of Muslims like those battles of Yarmook and''Al-Qaadisiyyah''. We should then bear in mind that those distinguished Muslims who fought in those battles and won did not attain glory and victory nor achieve happiness and power except through their strict adherence to Islaam in all spheres of their lives. They dedicated all their acts of worship to Allaah alone and earned as a result glory and exaltation for this religion. Let the present Muslim nation – who live in different kinds of affliction be aware that there is no way out of the present predicaments except by making a sincere return to Allaah and make a real adherence to the path of His Messenger. Those are the basics for reform, glory, success and victory for the last of this (Muslim) nation can never be in order except by what put the earlier Muslim nation in order. Brothers in faith! The month of Ramadaan is a month of generosity and kindness. Ibn Abbaas said, ‘The Messenger of Allaah was the most generous person and he used to be even more generous in the month of Ramadaan when Jibreel would meet him. And he used to meet him every night in Ramadaan until the end of the month while the Prophet would recite the Qur’aan for him and when Jibreel met him he was more generous than a rain-bearing wind.’ Dear brothers, there are various ways of being generous. Let everyone, then, be generous in whatever way he can. Whoever is generous to the slaves of Allaah with favour and gifts, Allaah will also be generous to him. Among the most prominent types of generosity is to feed the hungry and attend to the needs of others. The Messenger of Allaah said, '‘Whoever provides food for a fasting Muslim to break his fast, he will have the same reward as that of the fasting Muslim without reducing anything of his own reward.’ (At Tirmithie) Let me give you an example for selflessness: a righteous man was craving for food while he was fasting. As the food was being presented to him – when it was time to break his fast – he heard someone saying, ‘Who will loan to the rich, the reliable and the Self-Sufficient One?’ The righteous man answered, ‘His servant who is deprived of all good. He then rose up, took the plate of food and gave it to the beggar and passed his night in hunger.’ Allaah says, “And they give (others) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be successful.” (Al-Hashr: 9).'' Dear Muslim! There are in the world of Muslims today poor people who have been exiled from their lands. They presently have a difficult life. They are killed, expelled and have their homes demolished. Do remember them and spend what whatever you can to feed clothe and obtain drugs for them. Allaah says, ''“And whatever you spend of anything (in Allaah’s cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers.”''' (Saba’: 39).'' Remember your oppressed brothers all over the world and pray for them. The Prophet said, '‘There are three persons whose prayer will not be rejected …’ and he mentioned among them ‘…a fasting Muslim when he breaks his fast.’ Brothers in faith! The land of the two sacred mosques is in great blessing by the virtues of its implementation of the law of Islaam and its principles. Among the signs of the mutual love and cooperation that people of this country enjoy is the spreading of many charitable organisations. These organisations therefore need your continuous support and assistance especially in this month of generosity and kindness. The Messenger of Allaah said, ‘Charity reduces nothing from one’s wealth.’ ''He also said, ''‘Protect yourselves against Hell even if it be with a slice of a date.’ Fellow Muslims! Let your fasting be a shield with which you protect yourselves against sins in all times. The Messenger of Allaah said, ‘Fasting is a shield. Let no one of you – during his fasting day – behave in an obscene manner, or become angry. If anybody abuses or fights with him, let him say: I am fasting.’'(Bukhaarie & Muslim). The purpose of fasting is to control the soul and refine it and to protect the limbs. The Messenger of Allaah said, '‘Whoever does not refrain from falsehood in sayings and deeds and acts of ignorance, Allaah has no need of his abstention from food and drink.’ (Bukhaarie). Dear Muslims! Recitation of the Qur’aan increases one in inward and outward beauty and in estimation and honour in this world and the next. It is the profitable commerce that does not fall in all times. Az Zuhree said, ‘''When Ramadaan comes it is time for reciting the Qur’aan and feeding people…Some of the righteous predecessors used to finish reciting the whole Qur’aan in seven days.’'' Among the purposes of reciting the Qur’aan is to reflect over its verses and understand its meanings and the end result of all that is to put those meanings into practice, for there is no glory nor power, strength, peace of mind or safety from punishment except by adhering to the teachings of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Allaah says, ''“Verily, this Qur’aan guides to that which is most just and right.” (Al-Israa’: 9).'' Brothers in faith! The month of Ramadaan is a great period for the attainment of blessings. Of its blessings is the fact that it is a month of supplication, night prayers and moving close to Allaah. Endeavour then, dear brothers, to observe Salaatul Taraaweeh in congregation as a token of emulating the Prophet and whoever observes it with the Imaam till he finishes it will be written down for him that he has performed the night prayer. Category:Islamic occasions